Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
Mark from Urban Tree Services takes down the lights on a tree in downtown Dover Thursday in the frigid cold.

DOVER — As bitter cold temperatures continued for the fourth day this week, local shelters reported an increase in people seeking protection from the weather, though no emergency centers had been established in any community.

A warming shelter opened in Rochester Wednesday evening that ushered in patrons seeking the warmth offered through heat and the volunteers operating the shelter beginning that night.

The Salvation Army warming shelter, at 10 Old Farm Lane, was opened to city and non-city residents again at 7 p.m. Thursday. It is being kept open until 7 a.m. today.

“It’s pretty bad the last couple of days,” said Elizabeth Watson, social services worker at Salvation Army, about the cold temperatures. “The homeless shelters fill up so fast ... just because of the amount of homeless in the area.”

During warming shelter hours, the gymnasium at the Salvation Army worship center is separated into sections — men are sheltered on one side, women on the other side, and families are sheltered in the middle.

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Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
People walk down Congress Street in Portsmouth with cold temperatures forcing them to bundle up Thursday afternoon.

A dozen cots were borrowed from the Health and Safety Council of Strafford County for the shelter.

Watson said that as part of the shelter services, the Salvation Army offers a dinner, such as soup, as well as a breakfast the following morning, which typically consists of coffee, and food such as pastries.

Todd Marsh, director of Rochester’s Welfare Department, said his office hadn’t received any requests for assistance or shelter since the cold struck, but said he had been touch with the warming shelter and knew that those in need were taking advantage of its open doors already.

“In times of challenge communities rally around people in need,” he said.

In Dover, My Friends Place also reported an increase in people requesting shelter.

No official emergency shelters opened in any local communities, however, and police and fire departments reported nothing in the way of those in need.

Marsh said, though, that even the homeless who normally avoid traditional shelters were coming into the Salvation Army warming shelter as the below-zero temperatures had given them no other options.

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Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
Residents enjoyed a warm meal at the Friendly Toast in Portsmouth Thursday during another day of cold weather.

On Thursday, Watson said she expects more homeless individuals to take advantage of the warming shelter Thursday evening into the morning.

“They know that we’re here, and they’ll come,” said Watson.

First responders and local public works departments have attended to a few calls for service regarding water pipe bursts due to the cold.

On the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, classes held in Murkland Hall were canceled on Thursday due to ceiling heating coils that had frozen and then broke, making a watery mess for maintenance and staff.

Crews worked to mitigate the damage caused by water on every floor including the basement. Some classrooms in the building had partial damage to ceiling tiles as well.

Puddles were visible just inside the lobby of the building and wet stairs led to additional water-covered floors canvassed with workers trying to perform clean up.

Power to all outlets was shut off and plumbers worked to drain the heating system in the building. According to officials, Servepro was also en route to assist with the cleanup.

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Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
A Portsmouth resident walks outside bundled up from the cold air that has made itself at home in the Seacoast this week.

A similar incident occurred in Gregg Hall, though sources said the damage there was less significant and on a smaller scale.

Murkland Hall remained closed to the public for the day with all classes held there canceled. It was unknown how long it would take to execute cleanup and reopen the hall.

Assistant Fire Chief Jason Cleary offered the following friendly reminder to students and visitors on campus.

“If the building is closed and it says the building is closed then people should stay out,” he said.

Wednesday morning, a water main burst at the Cummings Mill Apartment complex in South Berwick attributed to the cold temperatures affected four units. That incident was also due to a frozen and broken heating coil.

However, one water main break was not due to the cold, though water had been shut off to a number of residents on Wednesday in Dover, when the top of a valve to a water main on Washington Street in Dover separated from the base of the valve and broke.

According to the Department of Public Works, a repair has been performed and things are back to normal in that area and for those affected.

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Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
Murkland Hall at UNH was closed Thursday after a water pipe in the building burst.

Temperatures were not expected to increase by much for the remainder of the week and meteorologists from Accuweather.com were predicting a snowstorm may even be in store come today. Gale winds were expected to add to the chill in the air as temperatures are expected to remain mostly between the single digits and low 20s through the weekend.